Monthly Archives: January 2015

Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center and the Dominican Sisters of Hope are happy to host preacher, poet, writer and lecturer, Ann Willits, OP on Saturday, Feb. 14. Willits will present a full day program, “What Does God Expect of Us?”

The program runs from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $60 and includes lunch. From the Mariandale program, the day is described: “What God expects does not always match what we want. This day of reflection will offer us time to pause and consider what God wants us to hear. Perhaps we might prepare for the day by asking ourselves: What does it mean to belong to God? The day will offer us some time to be silent, time to listen to God, and time to listen to our lives.”

Willits is well-regarded among her Dominican brothers and sisters for her warmth, humor and wisdom. “She is a great storyteller,” said one Dominican Sister of Hope in describing Willit’s sincere popularity with her peers.

Willits has been a member of the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, for more than 50 years. She was a high school English teacher and administrator, served for nine years on the General Council of her congregation, and was director of PARABLE, a national conference for Dominican Life and Mission, for 21 years. She is presently a full-time itinerant preacher and lecturer.

Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center is located one mile south from the Croton Harmon Train Station in Ossining, New York. It is a full service retreat and conference center with 61 acres of land on the Hudson, 40 bedrooms and full meal service, a swimming pool, nature trails and a labyrinth. It is available for group and private retreats, organizational meetings, and offers unique spiritual programming throughout the year. Mariandale is a sponsored ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Hope.

Churches’ Center for Land and People (CCLP), based in Verona, Wisconsin, is seeking an executive director. CCLP is a faith-based organization that connects with people of faith to promote earth stewardship, economic justice, sustainable local food production, community-building, spirituality and rural-urban connections. They are seeking candidates with a knowledge of and passion for agriculture, food and sustainable farming practices and an understanding of rural communities and rural development issues. The Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters are among the supporters of the CCLP. The part-time contractual position begins April 1. Deadline for applications is Feb. 16. Download job description (PDF)

Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, former prioress of the Adrian Dominican Congregation, has been selected to serve as the next president of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA). The first woman chosen for this position, she succeeds Rev. Larry Snyder and will officially assume office as CCUSA’s 10th president on June 1, 2015. “I am both honored and humbled to engage in this enormously important ministry,” said Sister Donna, currently president of the Behavioral Health Institute for Mercy Health. “There can be no greater call than to serve and advocate on behalf of persons who struggle to get by in a world where they are all too frequently relegated to the margins of society and where they long for dignity, hope, and compassion.” Read more

Maryknoll Sister Madeline Dorsey, 96, was among those on the front lines of the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Along with three other sisters, she represented the African-American doctors who worked with them at Queen of the World Hospital, the nation’s first interracial hospital, in Kansas City, Missouri. Read article on Maryknoll web site Sister Madeline was interviewed for the documentary “Trailblazers in Habits,” where she gave a firsthand account of her experiences. Watch video

As we embark into this New Year, the Dominican Sisters’ Conference is counting down to the 2015 Climate Summit in Paris, France. The DSC’s Paris 2015 Sub-Committee encourages sisters and others to participate in the “Paris 2015 and Counting” initiative to help raise awareness of justice issues impacted by climate change. January’s focus is how climate change and human trafficking are related. More information and resources, including study guides, action items, and prayer service materials, are available online. The DSC is also planning for its second convocation Oct. 1–4 in Wheeling, Illinois. Registration materials for attendees and market place vendors are available on the DSC web site. The latest issue of the DSC newsletter, In the Loop, has also been posted. Read newsletter (PDF)